Uninvited Guests
by Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful
Summary: The characters of a variety of Hunger Games fanfictions are placed in the Alice in Wonderland universe, with nearly no recollection of their pasts. New people, known as "Alices", are arriving by the dozen, and life in Underland is absolute chaos.
1. AN: Credit Where Credit is Due

Author's Note:

I shall give credit where credit is due!

This fanfiction was based on a topic in this Hunger Games Roleplay Forum:

forum/Hunger-Games-Roleplay-Forum/125204/

The topic is called Felix's Rabbit Hole, and it was created by TheEpicAlienGirl and myself (Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful)

The different characters are played by (and belong to):

Letha = **Loopyloola**

Superior, Caterpillar (Ester), White King (Caspian) = **HogwartsDreamer113**

March Hare (Reilly), White Queen (Maria), Lily = **Wetstar**

Cheshire Cat (Felix), Tweedle Dee (Mine), White Rabbit (Lalia) = **TheEpicAlienGirl**

Jack/Knave of Hearts (Julius), Mad Hatter (Caelius), Jabberwocky (Cacelia), Dormouse (Alder), Tweedle Dum (Yours), Violet, Orchid = **Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful**

Red Queen (Jennalee), Red King (Brad) = **Ecargnotrom**

**This story is dedicated to all of you!**

Most of the characters actually come from other stories, these ones:

Superior Hudson, Caspian Hudson, and Ester Kohl (Alice, White King, and Caterpillar) = **_Wipe Away The Tears_**, by HogwartsDreamer113

Reilly Heven and Maria Feren (March Hare and White Queen) = **_At Second__ Glance_**, by Wetstar

Jennalee Day and Brad Alley (Red Queen and Red King) = _**The Blood Games**_, by Ecargnotrom

Fellisberta "Felix" Branie (Cheshire Cat) = _**The 1st Ever Hunger Games of Panem**_, by TheEpicAlienGirl**  
**

Julius Saunders, Alder Zane, and Violet Henson (Knave/Jack of Hearts, Dormouse, and Flower) = _**The Victor From** **Twelve**_, by Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful

Caelius "Cae" Ellison and Cacelia Hyasin (Mad Hatter and Jabberwocky) = _**Inevitable**_, by Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful

Orchid (Flower) = (in an upcoming chapter of) **_The__ Highlights_**, by Kate-The-Great-And-Powerful


	2. Prelude: A New Beginning

**Prelude **

The universe of writing is a vast expanse of words and ideas. Here, there are worlds of them, composed of stories branching off from different stories. On occasion, these worlds collide in the strangest of ways. Characters who died horrible deaths are revived, brought to a new environment. It's a fresh start for them, and they couldn't be happier. But it works the other way, as well. Characters meant to get a happy ending can be forced to start over in an entirely new story. And if they want their happy ending, they'll have to fight for it.

Our characters have just been dropped into a place where madness rules. Few of them can recall much about their past. Most of them have a new goal, now. A new beginning.

It could very well bring out the best and the worst in us all.


	3. Chapter 1

** Chapter One: **_In Which The Jabberwocky Plans An Escape_

Jabber pounded on the door of her cell, another escape plan forming in her mind.

"Let me out! I'll starve in here!" She tried to make her voice sound shaky as she pleaded to her guard, a burly eighteen-year-old who fancied himself the "Jack of Hearts". _The loathsome knave_, thought Jabber. The boy's face appeared behind the barred window at her cell door. He blocked the light, casting his shadow across her prison. Jabber's gaze fell on the jagged scars around Jack's missing eye, so poorly covered by an eye patch. One of the corners of her mouth turned up in a barely perceptible smile.

"Bein' over-theatrical again, are we, Jabber?" said Jack acidly. Jabber's smile faded into a scowl. Her guard turned back to the hallway and straightened up, trying to look like he deserved to stand by the rulers of Underland. He was so young, to be the Red Queen's right-hand man. And he was proud of his achievements, no matter what it had cost him. He wasn't going risk it all by letting the Jabberwocky talk him into freeing her.

Jabber sank into the darkness of her cell, defeated. Why had she tried? Her guard knew her. Jack had hunted her, in the time when the White Court had ruled Underland. Back when she lived in hiding, in the dense forest that encompassed the land. She had given him his scars, clawed out his eye. And Jack would never forget.

Jabber flung herself against the door, pressing her face against the iron bars of the window and hissing in Jack's ear.

"I'm not!"

Jack jumped, startled by his half-dragon prisoner.

"I was just giving it a try," continued Jabber sweetly.

"You well know it won't work on me," grumbled Jack, "You've in lived the dungeon for a year n'a half."

"Speak properly for once," scoffed Jabber, "And maybe I'd listen." Jack scowled at her. Jabber turned her back to him, brushing aside a strand of her hair and staring at the stone wall thoughtfully.

"What if I burned down the door?" she almost whispered, turning back around. Jack's eyes widened in horror.

"No!" he exclaimed. At the smirk on his prisoner's face, he coughed and corrected himself. "I mean, that won't work. You've already tried it."

"Oh. Yes, that's right," said Jabber, knowing full well that she could burn down the door if she tried. But at what cost? She couldn't escape through the dungeon, even if she managed to get past Jack. Not with the Red Queen's soldiers patrolling the castle. The hallway beyond the dungeon, she knew, had a window. Reinforced. Always locked. She needed to get out that window. She could fly…

Jabber glanced over her shoulder at her scaly wings, folded tight against her back. After all this time, could she still fly? She stretched out her wings, once again noting that she had no room to unfurl them completely in her cell. Maybe she wouldn't be able to stay in the air for long, but she could certainly glide to the ground.

She was little, as Jabberwockies go, small in stature and just over five feet in height. But she was deadly. As the Red Court's executioner, she even possessed a weapon, other than her own sharp claws and teeth, of course. That could get rather messy. A double-bladed battle axe leaned against the wall, in a corner of her cell. She had found wielding it exceptionally easy, and better than getting her hands dirty. Her weapon was perfect for cutting through flesh and bone, but unfortunately, unsatisfactory against heavy doors. She could use it against Jack, though, if she found a way out of her prison.

All she needed was a key.

"What makes you so excited to escape?" asked Jack, startling her, "The sentence's for life, but at least you're entertained." The prisoners sent in for her to execute. He calls them 'entertainment'. But why is he acting so superior? Jabber had seen him wince and turn away at the sound of their screams.

"I suppose I am," she murmured. She smiled to herself and raised her voice as she came back over to her tiny window. "But would it be so horrible to clean up the bodies once in a while? They're beginning to smell." Jabber wrinkled her nose, but Jack's steely glare remained unbroken.

"Cremation. There's an answer." Oh, how she would love a chance to take his other eye. That would stop him from foiling all her good escape plans.

"Fine," she snapped, "But the ashes will rise…"

"Would you give it up?! I'm not lettin' you free!" exclaimed Jack in exasperation. Jabber smirked at him and disappeared from sight.

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 2

**I hope everyone liked the first chapter! Here is chapter two! Letha belongs to Loopyloola!**

Chapter **Two: ** _In Which an Alice Visits a Tea Party_

Violet's message for the White Queen wasn't exactly urgent. But Violet thought it was, and that was enough. The flowers had been gossiping again, and Orchid and Lily had both heard rumors of new people falling into Underland through the White Rabbit's portal. She had to inform the White Queen before it got out of hand.

"Your majesty?" she called into the empty throne room.

"Hello?" A new voice echoed in from the hallway. Violet whirled around to face a girl who looked to be a few years older than her, walking in through the large, decoratively carved double doors. Violet had never seen this girl before. Her eyes widened in shock. She was who the flowers had been talking about!

"Hi!" said Violet, taking an involuntary step back. What if she was dangerous? The girl took no notice. She was too busy taking in her surroundings, so different than where she had lived before. Her home seemed like a distant memory to her now.

"Um…Hi…" she said, not making eye contact with Violet.

"I haven't seen you before," said Violet warily, "I'm Violet. What's your name?"

"Letha," said the girl, still glancing around at the vast throne room.

"Are you looking for the White Queen, Letha?" inquired Violet.

"White Queen?" asked Letha. A strange look came over her face. "You're so stupid!" she exclaimed. Violet flinched, but Letha turned away and kept shouting.

"How?!" she snapped, "You don't know who the White Queen is! Nor do you! Oh, yeah." She turned back to Violet.

"I'm not stupid," muttered the flower, looking at the ground. All at once, she realized the girl was not speaking to her. She was talking to herself. Wasn't she?

"Sorry," said Letha, noticing Violet's uncertainty. Violet looked up.

"Are you mad, Letha?" she asked. Letha seemed rather confused.

"I don't think so," she responded. She muttered something under her breath. Then, to Violet's utter shock, the girl slapped herself across the face. Violet gasped. No, Letha wasn't traditionally mad, like a lot of the Underland residents Violet knew. But she was mad, nevertheless.

"I think you are!" exclaimed Violet, her face lighting up.

"I'm not!" said Letha with a scowl. _Why is she here?_ thought Violet. Maybe the Hatter could help her figure this out.

"No, silly!" laughed Violet, "It's good! You'll fit right in with the rest of us. You should meet the Hatter. He's quite mad, as well." She paused, thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, we're all mad here." Violet didn't wait for a reply before taking Letha's arm and dragging her out the door.

"Where are we going?" asked Letha, looking at the thick forest of trees that surrounded them. It didn't look half as inviting as the pleasant interior of the White Castle. This was darker; more ominous.

"I'm going to introduce you to the Hatter and his friends," said Violet.

"Alright," said Letha, looking unsure.

Soon the pair arrived at the Hatter's place of residence. The Hatter himself, a lanky seventeen-year-old with untidy red hair and freckles, sat at the far end of a long, nearly empty table, fiddling with a teacup. He was still smiling, proud of his victory in his latest dish-throwing battle.

"Hey, Hatter!" called Violet. The Hatter lifted his head.

"Violet!" he exclaimed, "It's been too long!"

The Dormouse, a tired-looking boy with the same black hair and grey eyes as Violet, gave the two visitors a wave. The March Hare, the youngest of the three friends, was beside himself laughing at something, as he nearly always was.

"This is my good friend, Dormouse," said Violet, pointing, "This is the March Hare. And this is the Hatter." She raised her voice, calling across the table so the Hatter could hear.

"I've brought another girl with me! Her name is Letha!"

"Can't he see I'm here?" asked Letha.

"Of course not," said Violet, "The Hatter is blind."

The Hatter had not been paying any attention to the conversation. There hadn't been a new person in years. Where had this one come from? And why had Violet brought her to him?

"Hi," said a voice, suddenly much closer. Hatter jumped. This must be her.

"Hello!" he greeted her, "Would you like some tea, then?"

"Yes, please!" replied Letha. After a brief pause, the girl continued. "No, you don't want tea! Go away and be quiet!" She noticed the stares she got from around the table.

"Sorry about that," she said, suddenly very interested in her shoes.

"I'm going to give you tea," decided the Hatter. He picked up his favorite teapot and poured tea where he was sure an empty cup had been. And it had been there, moments ago, before Dormouse had taken it to have a drink of his own. The tea splashed onto the tablecloth. Of course, the Hatter did not notice this.

Letha tried to stifle a laugh.

"What?" he asked. Dormouse tapped the Hatter on his shoulder. "Yes?" The quiet boy handed his friend an empty teacup.

"Oh," said the Hatter, "Thanks." Letha was still laughing quietly, and the Hatter could feel his ears burning red.

"Here," he said, holding out the teacup.

"Thank you," said Letha, grateful he couldn't see her grinning. The Hatter took a sip of his own tea.

"So, Letha, when did you get here?" he asked. Violet listened intently, trying to figure out what she could about the new girl.

"About ten minutes ago," replied Letha.

"How?" the Hatter questioned her further.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. Violet and the Dormouse exchanged a glance as the girl began to mutter under her breath once more.

"Huh. That's interesting," said the Hatter.

It certainly was.


	5. Chapter 3

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! :) I really appreciate any feedback you can give me for this story. Do you think I'm doing it right?**

**Chapter** **Three:** _In Which The Knave of Hearts is Sent on a Mission_

"JUUUUUULIE!" shouted the Queen of Hearts, tapping her foot impatiently as she sat on her throne. She didn't like to be kept waiting.

Jack paused to think twice before walking to the throne room, but only because no one called him by Julius, his proper name. He was normally only addressed by his title. It was nearly always "Jack", occasionally "Knave". Never "Julius", even less commonly "Julie". He shuddered involuntarily in dislike of the nickname, but continued on his way.

"Yes, your majesty?" said Jack, bowing his head as he entered the throne room. The Red Queen looked down at him, tilting her own head slightly.

"How many people have been executed today?" she asked.

"None, your majesty," answered Jack. He was used to the Red Queen's fondness of decapitation. He'd seen servants, pages, even knights and advisors sentenced to the gruesome fate. Jack himself had been issued quite a few threats of execution.

"None?" asked the Red Queen innocently, after a moment's hesitation.

"_None_, your majesty," confirmed Jack. The Queen of Hearts stood up and walked towards him, the beginning of a smile on her face.

"Do you like your job here, _Julie_?" she inquired, beginning to circle him. Jack flinched.

"Yes, your majesty," he answered. He was telling the truth. Suddenly, the Red Queen came to a stop in front of him and smacked him hard across the face. Jack didn't have time to shout before she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down so they could see eye-to-eye.

"Then I suggest that you stop lying around here at your leisure and go out and catch a criminal!" she hissed. The Red Queen let go of him.

"Yes, your majesty," said Jack through gritted teeth. He turned and walked out the door, trying to hide his indignation. As soon as he was out of earshot, he started muttering under his breath. He was sick and tired of being pushed around by a girl. She was seventeen, a year younger than him, no less!

"Bye, bye!" cackled the Queen of Hearts, in a lighthearted mood. She gave Jack a wave before practically skipping back to her throne.

"How'd it go?" asked the Red King, leaning against a wall outside the room. Before the Queen could answer him, she heard another loud cry of frustration from the dungeon. The Jabberwocky was at it again.

"Go get her," she ordered, annoyed, "I need to talk to my little Jabber." The Red King nodded his head and started towards the dungeons.

Jabber was fed up. She was furious that she was being treated this way. The darkness and damp of her cell almost made her old life worth missing.

"Hey, you okay?" A voice jolted the half-dragon out of her thoughts. She looked up to see the King of Hearts, a tall boy about the same age as Jack, looking in through the window. Jabber jumped to attention.

"Sorry, your majesty! I thought- I- Jack left his post!" Jack acted like he was a threat, but the Red King and Queen were the ones who held real power. Jabber hoped she wouldn't be subjected to torture again. But to her surprise, the Red King grinned.

"He was supposed to. C'mon. The Queen wants to see you." Jabber heard the sound of a key turning in the lock, and the heavy door swung open. And in that moment, the perfect chance to break out, she couldn't move. Every escape plan she'd dreamed up in her year and a half of captivity had left her. She stood, frozen, staring at the King in disbelief.

"You're letting me out?" she asked. The Red King nodded.

"Let's hurry. The Queen seems to be in a quite variable mood." Jabber's eyes narrowed, scanning the King's face for a lie. She found no dishonesty.

"What's she want to talk about?" she asked. The King shrugged.

"Who knows?" he said. Jabber noted that his words seemed like a statement rather than a question.

"HURRY UP!" yelled the Queen from the throne room. The Red King nodded at Jabber, who hesitantly walked out of her cell.

"HURRY UP!" repeated the Red Queen in an even louder voice, tired of waiting.

"C'mon," said the King, grabbing Jabber's wrist and quickening the pace. When they arrived at the door, the Red King leaned down and whispered in Jabber's ear.

"Remember, just be a yes man."

Jabber rolled her eyes. If you could overlook the Jabberwocky's reptilian characteristics, she would seem very much like a normal girl. Especially when she rolled her eyes, a very human action.

"It's about time!" scolded the Red Queen, "What took you so long?"

"I couldn't get the cell unlocked," answered the King, "Sorry, my queen." Jabber glared up at the Red Queen, but she took no notice.

"How's my ickle Wocky doing?" the Queen asked sweetly. Jabber's steely glare darkened. But she remembered the King's well-intentioned advice.

"Fine, your majesty," she mumbled.

"Fine," said the Queen thoughtfully, "Are you going to smile?" Jabber put on her best smile, revealing a mouthful of blade-sharp teeth. It was a daily effort for Jabber to keep from cutting her own lips, as she lacked the scaly hide of a full Jabberwocky. The Red Queen didn't seem intimidated, which made Jabber feel even more vexed.

"That's better," said the Red Queen, sitting back down on her throne, "Now, I know I've kept you locked up for quite a while. But I need you to do something for me."

"What kind of something?" asked Jabber, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," said the Red Queen, thinking about it, "Let's just say that I have Julie out wandering for something." Jabber had to wonder for a moment before realizing that she was talking about Jack. Proper names were confusing, and it seemed only the Red Queen preferred to use them. Jabber could hardly recall her own name. But that never mattered, as she didn't care to remember it.

"And when this something returns," continued the Queen, "I need someone who can keep it in line."

"May I ask what this something is?" asked Jabber. The Red Queen's mouth slowly spread into a disturbing grin.

"A person," she said.

"Who?" asked the curious Jabberwocky. The Red Queen grinned and turned to her King. She snapped her fingers, and he left the room immediately.

"Now let's say one of my spies managed to get me some information," she continued. The Red King entered the room once again, this time holding an ancient-looking scroll. He handed it to the Queen of Hearts, who slowly unraveled it, revealing what looked like hundreds of hand-drawn pictures. People and animals Jabber knew. The forest, the garden, the rivers. Even two miniature castles. This was Underland.

"This is the Oraculum. My spy stole it. And no doubt, _they_ will try and get it back. The Oraculum predicts the future and this—" She pointed to a tiny drawing of a girl. "—shows a person entering Underland. And they are _not_ supposed to be here." She rolled up the Oraculum.

"Now, you are my best and most powerful guard. I want you to keep the Oraculum safe. And when Julius hurries up and finds this person, I want you to make sure they know their place." Without mentioning that she was not a guard in this castle, but a prisoner, Jabber nodded her head.

"I will, your majesty."

"Good," said the Queen of Hearts. She snapped her fingers again. The Red King, growing tired of this routine, left the room again. When he returned, he was holding a chest. He took the scroll from his Queen and locked it inside.

"Now escort my little Wocky back to her dungeon." The Red King nodded, and turned back to Jabber. He gestured toward the door with his head, as his hands were busy carrying the chest. Jabber followed his instruction, glancing once over her shoulder as she walked out of the throne room.

The corridor grew darker as the two walked down to the dungeons. There was only silence in between them, and it seemed neither was willing to break it. After a minute, though, the Red King turned to Jabber.

"Do you mind being locked up all the time?" he asked. Jabber looked at him strangely.

"Of course I mind. Wouldn't it drive you crazy, being stuck inside a tiny cell for so long?" She lowered her voice to a mutter. "Especially with idiots like Jack guarding the door."

"Yeah," said the Red King, "Sorry about Jack…And all the other stuff, of course!" Jabber looked at him strangely. He was _apologizing_.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Just because I'm the King doesn't mean I have to like Jack," he said, setting down the chest so he could unlock the cell door.

"I wasn't talking about Jack," pointed out Jabber.

"Miss I'm-Queen-So-I-Can-Boss-You-Around is getting a little unbearable, too…" said the Red King quietly, more to himself than to the Jabberwocky. Jabber laughed.

"But you're the King," Jabber pointed out. The King smiled half-heartedly as he opened the door to her cell. _When had that ever mattered?_ he thought.

"I'll tell you what. I'll see if I can persuade her majesty to let you have a fly around soon." Jabber looked up at him, surprised.

"You mean it?" she asked. The King nodded.

"Of course."

"Thank you." The King nodded a second time.

"HURRY UP!" screamed the Queen of Hearts again. Jabber sighed and walked back into her cell.

"Well then, lock me up," she said, turning to face him. The Red King shut the door and turned a key in the lock.

"Make sure you wind up Jack when he gets here?"

"Done," responded the Jabberwocky with a sigh, lacking the enthusiasm she might have felt under different circumstances. The Red King walked out of the dungeon, towards the impatient Queen's shrieks.

Jabber started to turn around, ready to throw herself onto her wooden cot and wallow in self-pity, when something caught her eye. She peered out the barred window and focused her gaze on the glint of something metal lying on the ground, just outside her door. It was her very own ticket to freedom.

The Red King had dropped his keys.

**Do you recognize any of the characters? I have just updated the "Credit Where Credit Is Due" chapter, and written down the names of the stories all our characters are from originally :) Please review, so I know how you like the story so far!**


	6. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late chapter! I'll start working on the next one right away! Thank you to everyone for the wonderful reviews!**

**Chapter** **Four**: _In Which A New Alice Arrives_

Superior woke up on the floor of an unfamiliar room, without the slightest idea of how she had managed to get there. She wasn't a sleepwalker… Was she? She blinked and lifted her head, surveying her surroundings. While she couldn't identify her location, she knew one thing.

She wasn't in District 4.

Superior got to her feet, steadying herself with a decorative suit of armor standing against the wall. She determined she must be in a hallway of some sort. The strangest part, almost everything was a bright white color.

"Hello, you!" said a voice. Superior turned around and found the voice's owner, a smiling girl with straight blonde hair. She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.

"Hi," said Superior, trying to be friendly, "Do you know where we are?"

"Where are we? We're in the White Castle, of course!" said the girl, as if it should have been obvious, "Best place to be now that the Red Queen has taken over."

_White Castle? Red Queen?_

"What?" This definitely wasn't District 4. Superior doubted the two of them were in Panem at all.

"You don't know?" asked the girl, raising an eyebrow, "Well sit down, doll, because it's a long story. Or maybe you want the short version instead. We don't want a pretty face like yours wasting away!" She laughed. Superior hoped her smile didn't look forced.

"I'm Jade," the girl introduced herself.

"Superior Hudson."

Jade sat down on the ground, and motioned for Superior to sit next to her. To Superior's surprise, blades of grass were starting to spring up through the floor. Jade smiled knowingly. Superior didn't bother to question how it happened. The most logical explanation would have been a dream, though dreams were hardly logical. Superior sat down; maybe this girl would explain.

What Superior did not know at the time was that Jade was a flower. Well, a half-flower. And she was about to start doing what the garden-dwellers of Underland, flowers and half-flowers alike, loved to do most. Gossip.

"Okay," Jade began, "You're in Underland."

"Underla-?"

"So you've got your Red Queen. She's an old hag who lives in a blood-red castle surrounded by lava, dragons guarding the gateways, and everyone there are witches and wizards that practice black magic!" exclaimed Jade, recalling the rumors she had heard from the other flowers, and even a few that she had come up with herself, "Then, of course, you've got your White Queen. She's the prettiest, most innocent and most rightful leader of Underland. As you can see, she's got a white theme going on in the castle, and everyone here is as sweet as honey!" Superior paused before replying.

"I guess that makes sense," she said, "But how did I get here?" Jade shrugged.

"You got me on that one, kid," she said. Superior almost smiled when she was addressed as 'kid'. Jade, though she looked like a younger girl, seemed to have a motherly nature.

"What is there to do here?" asked Superior.

"Well, you could go and play croquet with the Red King…only if you want to be killed by the Red Queen, of course."

"Well—" Superior started. Jade's face lit up.

"Oh! I know! We can dress you up all pretty and get you a nice man of the White Court!" she winked at Superior, grinning.

"Um…Okay…." said Superior, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Really? This is great. Though we mustn't spend too much time, I'll get ill if I stay inside too long!" Jade stood up and started to walk down the hall. Superior followed close behind.

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm half-flower!" said Jade with a smile. She picked up a thin green vine in her hair, adorned with jade flowers.

"This is attached to my head, like all the other vines."

"Really? That's cool!" exclaimed Superior.

"Thank you!" replied Jade, "Though it is a pain. I can't eat meat, only dirt, other plants, and bugs… C'mon, let's go!"

"That sucks…" said Superior, following her. Jade skipped up the stairs and walked into an empty room. She opened the door of a massive wardrobe and grinned.

"Wow, _everything_ is white," she said, pointing to all the extravagant white dresses.

"I'll look like I'm getting married!" laughed Superior.

"You never know!" said Jade with a smile, digging deeper into the wardrobe, "Oh! There are a few golden things in here!" The half-flower dragged a few garments out and threw them into a pile in front of Superior. She held up the first one.

"This one looks a little on the long side," she noted.

"Yeah, probably," said Superior.

"You pick something," Jade told her, "You will be the one wearing it, after all." Superior examined the heap for a moment before picking up another dress.

"This might work…" she said. Jade's eyes widened.

"Wow…It's so pretty! Try it on!" she exclaimed.

"Okay!"

_Maybe this would be fun_, Superior decided.

It wasn't something she would wear back home. Superior hadn't ever seen anything like it in the shops of District 4. Ruffled gold-colored fabric, decorated with blue ribbons. Superior smoothed out the skirts of the dress and walked back into the room. Jade sighed happily when she saw her.

"I wish I looked like you…You look beautiful." Superior smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem!" said Jade, smiling back, "Now, let's go back outside. I feel a little queasy…"

"Alright," said Superior. Jade grinned and headed back down the stairs. When they were out the front door and into the sunshine, Jade turned to Superior.

"So, where do you come from?" she asked. Superior blinked in the light, looking in awe at the green forest around her. Where was Underland?

"A place called District Four," she replied, "By the ocean."

"What's the ocean?" Superior turned to stare at the girl. What's the ocean? She couldn't imagine life without the ocean, or at least knowing what it was; that it was there.

"It's a really big body of water…"

"Sounds scary," said Jade.

"It's not, actually… It's really beautiful," said Superior.

"So why are you here?"

"I was going to ask you."

"You don't know?" Superior shook her head.

"I know who you could ask!" said Jade.

"Who?"

"The Caterpillar!" Jade cleared her throat and began to tell her rumors again. "She lives in a toadstool palace, surrounded by her bumblebee guards! She's good friends with the Mad Hatter. So I suggest you visit the Hatter first, so you can say you're friends of his." The Caterpillar, though she did not make her home in a great toadstool palace, was a friend of the Hatter. Superior was a bit apprehensive to visit a person with the word "mad" in his name. But if it would help her gain the trust of the Caterpillar, who according to Jade would certainly help her figure out how she had ended up in Underland, she had to find him.

"Alright. Where does the Mad Hatter live?"

"Well, follow the path 'till you get to a sign. It'll say 'red' pointing one way, and 'white' pointing towards the castle, but you shouldn't take either path. Walk into the forest behind it and follow the noises of shouting and smashing! Sorry, I can't come with you, got to stay in the garden. Good luck!"

Shouting and smashing? That didn't make Superior feel any better.

"Thanks!" she told Jade as she started walking down the path.

"Bye!" called the half-flower, waving, "Come back when you can!" Jade started to walk away, but paused.

"Should I have told her about the Red Queen's people in the forest?" she asked herself. She debated a moment before deciding. "Oh, she'll be alright!"

Superior had only been walking for a minute when she heard a faint sound in the distance, growing louder by the second. Shouting and smashing.

She hoped this wasn't as bad an idea as it seemed…

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Slight spoilers for the next chapter: Jabber is released, Jack gets into a fight, and Superior visits a tea party :) Reviews are much appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:** _In Which The Jabberwocky is Freed_

"How much longer is Jack going to be?" asked the Red Queen, though Jack had left the Castle not an hour earlier.

"Any day soon, your majesty," replied the King. The Queen of Hearts groaned.

"Why won't he go faster?!" she demanded. The King opened his mouth to say something reassuring, but closed it again. He had an idea.

"I know how to make him hurry."

"How?"

"Well, the Jabberwocky is the fastest creature you have," explained the King, taking great care to choose the right words, "She can fly through the sky. She'll spot him easily." The Red Queen considered this. In the end, impatience won the battle.

"Fine."

* * *

"Come on, come on…" grumbled Jabber. She was in quite an uncomfortable position, sprawled out on the ground with her head against the wall and her arm reaching under the old door. She had been at it so long her shoulder was starting to ache. And still, she couldn't reach the key.

"Argh!" She cried out in frustration, abandoning the attempt. It was tantalizing, having the key in sight but just out of her reach… Jabber growled. In her anger, she hadn't realized the cloud of black smoke she had coughed up during her endeavor to reach the key. Jabber had always been proud of her fire-breathing ability. She used it often, too, to clear up her cell after an execution. But occasionally, in moments of rage, it became more of a nuisance than a talent.

Jabber lay there for a while, cheek pressed to the ground, glaring under the door until she couldn't stand it any longer. She slid her arm under once more, reaching as far as she could manage. Her claws scratched at the stone as she tried desperately to get at the key. Suddenly, her hand closed around something cool and metal. Jabber's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She'd done it!

Jabber drew back her arm and stared at the key. It was brass, with a heart-shaped handle. Hours of staring at it under the door, and now it was in the palm of her hand. She stood up again, smiling triumphantly.

"Yes!" She reached for the window, ready to test if the key fit into the lock. Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a grinning Red King on the other side.

"Guess who's going out for a fly?" he said. Jabber was so surprised she dropped the key with a yelp. The King didn't notice.

"It's you!" he exclaimed. "If…uh, if you didn't know." Jabber gave the key a sharp kick, sending it to the back of her cell.

"Really?"

"Yeah!" The Red King looked rather pleased. "You need to find Jack." Jabber smiled slightly, recovered from her shock.

"He's taking too long?"

"Yeah, so you need to look for him. Queen is feeling suspicious for some reason," the King explained, "Then again, she always thinks the worst of things." Jabber nodded quickly, stepping out of her cell. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that she had wasted so much time trying to reach for the key. Still, she kept the smile on her face.

The King reached into his pocket and took out a small bracelet. To Jabber, it looked more like a cuff you'd find on a shirt. The King fastened it on her wrist.

"So you'll come back." Jabber's smile faded as she took in the cuff's strange, greenish glow. The tracking device trick, she knew all too well.

"Magic," she said, "The fun ends when you bring magic items into the equation, your majesty. It's like cheating."

"So is escaping," pointed out the King with a shrug. He smiled apologetically. "Sorry. But good luck!" Maybe getting the key wasn't such a waste of time after all. Jabber smiled back.

"What should I do when I find him? Scare him? Tell him to hurry it up or he'll be executed?" Jabber had always imagined getting revenge on the Jack. It seemed the perfect chance had finally come.

"Second one," said the King.

"Excellent."

"Awesome! Now flap your wings!" The King was still smiling. Jabber couldn't help but feel happy as well. She was grateful.

"Open the window?" she asked.

"Right!" The Red King unlocked the first window in the hall and threw it open.

"Thanks," said Jabber, climbing out onto the thin ledge. She blinked, adjusting to the bright sunlight. Her eyes swept across the forest; the rivers and mountains. So this was Underland. It didn't seem like much had changed.

She gave the Red King a smile before letting herself fall.

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! If you noticed the magic bracelet I included, that was so Cacelia/Jabber wouldn't run off to freedom so soon. Trust me, now I'm certain that's what she would do! XD Please give me a review, and I'll try to update again soon, maybe even tonight!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**_: In Which Jack is Given A Prophecy_

Jack had been riding for too long. The weather was hot; the sun beat down on him relentlessly. His horse had an obvious dislike for him, and went out of his way to come to a halt at every bend in the road and start chewing the vegetation.

"C'mon!" exclaimed Jack, becoming frustrated as his horse stopped, once again, to tear a mouthful of ferns from the ground, "Move!" He dug his heels into the horse's side, which the animal did not appreciate. He whinnied irately, but continued to trot down the path nevertheless. Jack had to find someone soon. This was Underland. The Hatter and his gang ought to be harboring a few criminals. Jack nearly laughed at the thought of the Hatter kid and his friends hiding thieves and murderers under their table.

He rode on.

* * *

The Cheshire Cat was not an actual cat. She had gained the nickname a long time ago, because of the furry pair of cat ears perched atop her head of dark hair. Why no one had ever questioned this, Cheshire neither knew nor cared. She quite enjoyed being able to blend in with the background.

Cheshire had always had loved to irritate the Jack of Hearts. He had a notoriously short fuse; it was just too easy to set him off. She grinned broadly when she saw him coming. She decided to materialize on a tree branch just above his head.

"Hello, _Knave_!" she called down to him, knowing how much he hated the title.

"Whoa!" shouted the Jack, bringing his horse to a halt and looking up to see where the voice had come from. Cheshire grinned down at him.

"How's it going?" she asked, "And good…catches?"

"What're you goin' on about, cat?" asked the Jack. He looked rather annoyed already, which Cheshire thought was fantastic.

"I know everything. Remember? You're looking for someone, aren't you?"

"How would you know why I'm here?" Cheshire's ear twitched.

"I said it, didn't I? I know _everything_." The Jack shook his head, scowling, and started to ride off. Cheshire frowned and vanished from her branch. A moment later, she reappeared in front of the Jack's horse. The animal skidded to a halt, rearing up and nearly throwing its rider to the ground. The Jack managed to grab onto the reins in time to save himself.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!" he shouted, trying to get his horse back under control.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Knave," she scolded him, "Disrespecting your elder? What a naughty little boy you've become."

"Go away," said the Jack, looking at Cheshire like he wanted to strangle her.

"Oh, but I can't!" said Cheshire, vanishing once again. This time, she materialized behind him. The Jack started riding again.

"Not until I give you my two pence!" Cheshire called after him, "Halt your horse for just a moment! Let me speak with you." The Jack stopped his horse with a sigh.

"Fine. Say it."

"Something's going to happen, and it involves you," said Cheshire, going to stand beside the Jack, "I don't know what exactly. I know the past and present, not the future. But it'll make your 'queen' very angry." The Jack's eyes widened. Cheshire figured he feared for both his job and his life.

"What'd you hear of it? What's happening?" he demanded. Cheshire didn't answer.

"_I_ know what's going to happen," said a voice from the Jack's other side. He turned to face a redheaded girl Cheshire knew as the Caterpillar. She was the most famous of Underland's seers.

"Well speak, then!" exclaimed the Jack. Cheshire's work was done. She smiled and gave the Caterpillar a nod, then faded into the background, leaving only her grin behind.

* * *

Caterpillar had never officially met the Jack of Hearts. But as soon as he opened his mouth, she decided she definitely wasn't going to like him. He waited as she watched the Cheshire Cat's grin disappear, looking impatient with her.

"Well…" she said finally, "In a very short time, Underland will have some guests, who are very much unwelcomed by the Red Queen. We'll call them 'Alices'. Most are unimportant. However, there is one who just arrived who's different from the rest. She'll fall for someone of the Red Court, and he for her. This Alice's lover will betray the Red Queen, and the pair will be caught in a battle of love and war…" Caterpillar smiled. She did love a dramatic ending.

"Huh," said the Jack. It wasn't the response Caterpillar would have preferred. There was a brief silence.

"You think that lover's gonna be me?" he asked.

"Now, did I say that? No." The Jack looked frustrated.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I _never_ said anything about you," Caterpillar pointed out.

"Then who's it about?" To Caterpillar, the conversation felt more like an interrogation now.

"That is none of your business," she said, crossing her arms.

"Then get out of my way!" The Caterpillar moved aside.

"You could ask nicely, you know!" she called after him.

But the Jack was already gone.

**Review, maybe? :)**


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**_ In Which The Jabberwocky Gets Her Revenge_

Flying. She was flying! Jabber looped in the air, stretching out her wings and laughing as she soared through the clouds. What a feeling! For the first time in a long time, Jabber was free.

Almost.

A sharp tug on her wrist brought the Jabberwocky back to reality. Of course she wasn't free. She glanced at her bracelet bitterly, and tried once again to slice through it with her claws. It never did any good. But at least she was flying.

She glided above the path for a while before she spotted the Jack. Staring ahead, cape flying out behind him as he rode. He looked like someone of great importance.

Jabber thought it was time she put him in his place.

* * *

Jack still hadn't found a criminal. He hadn't found any new arrivals, either. He wasn't all too upset about that, though. Something about the redheaded girl's prophecy had been unsettling to him. If not he, then who? The Red King or Queen? Arranged marriage or not, upsetting their relationship could definitely be an issue for the Red Court. Maybe it was a soldier. They were always fooling around, especially with the flowers. Jack wouldn't have put it past one of them to fall for an Alice. But would it cause a problem? Jack had seen more than a few soldiers easily sentenced to execution. What if—

"Jacky!" screeched a voice. Jack started, twisting in his saddle to see. The Jabberwocky was flying alongside his horse. Jack opened his mouth, but he was knocked to the ground before he could shout.

She was out. They couldn't do that! Not after all Jack had done to cage the beast. But here she was.

Jabber threw a punch at him as he started to get to his feet. His horse galloped away, eager to escape. Nose bleeding, Jack tried to shove the Jabberwocky away. But the half-dragon lunged again, in an attempt to pin him to the ground. Unfortunately for her, Jack was nearly twice her size, and yanked her off easily. His hands closed around her throat.

* * *

Jabber coughed up a fireball. With a shout of surprise, Jack dropped her. She sneered and kicked off the ground hard, launching herself at the Jack of Hearts. The Jack's head slammed into a tree, and he slumped down, dazed.

For once, Jabber noticed, she wasn't looking up at him.

"Hello."

"You! They let you out!" Jack struggled to get up. Jabber grabbed his shoulders and shoved him as hard as she could, sending him back to the ground. Spots of blood appeared on his shirt where her claws had dug into his skin. In his weakened state, Jabber could easily slit his throat. Alas, that wasn't her mission today.

"They did let me out." Jabber smirked at him. There was a long silence. Jack finally turned his head and made eye contact.

"Should've guessed this'd be the first place you'd go!" His fist swung around, hitting Jabber in the stomach and knocking the wind out of her. She staggered back, gasping for air. Jack got to his feet again, and unsheathed his sword.

"Scary," said the Jabberwocky under her breath. The Knave swung his blade, but Jabber ducked under the weapon. She kicked him in the back of the leg. The Jack's knee buckled, but still he struck again. Jabber gasped in pain as the blade caught her in the side.

The Jabberwocky doubled over. She wasn't hurt badly. Luckily for her, all jabberwockies were remarkably quick healers. But the Jack of Hearts wouldn't know that.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jabber saw the Jack stand up again. Rather than looking pleased with himself, he scowled. Just another criminal he had to finish off. Jabber was offended. She snapped up again. Before he could strike, she snatched a knife from his belt. She grabbed his collar and yanked him back against the tree, pinning him there with his own knife. He looked astounded; shocked the little Jabberwocky was strong enough to beat him in a fight. Or maybe it was something else…she could never be sure. But she thought she saw the fear in his eyes again. Jack was afraid of something. And it wasn't Jabber.

"Why'd they free you?" he growled, spitting out blood, "The sentence's for life." Jabber just couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him, but she tried her best to make her sarcasm sound sincere.

"Poor Jacky," she said, "Jealous that I have more freedom than you do? Because I have nothing to lose?" She traced her claw across his neck, grinning.

"Your life." Jabber brought back her claw, frowning.

"Of course. I'll have you know, I wasn't freed completely. I'm obligated to return." However much he was trying to hide it, a look of relief crossed Jack's face. Jabber pretended not to notice.

"The Red Queen requests that I tell you something," she said. The corner of Jack's mouth turned up, and he opened his mouth to give a half-witted sarcastic response.

"What, to—" Suddenly, Jabber drew her hand back and struck his face. Her claws left a row of thin, red lines across his cheek. He was silenced.

"To hurry up or you'll be executed!" shouted Jabber. She smiled thoughtfully. "You do like your job, Jack. And you paid dearly for it, too…So many months; so much pain…For what?" She waited for a response, in vain. The Jack glared, but he did not speak.

"The Red Queen suggests that you find some new arrivals. And soon. Wouldn't want it all to have been for nothing, would we?" She could have sworn she saw him wince.

"I'll see you at the Castle," she smirked, before unfurling her wings and taking off. She glanced over her shoulder once. Just in time to see the Jack yank his knife out of the tree, and begin to limp down the path.

* * *

The Red King tapped the croquet ball lightly with the mallet, grinning as it rolled through the wicket. The Queen walked up to him, looking irritated.

"I'm still winning!" she said.

"Yes, you are. Well done, my lady. It's your turn now." The Red Queen nodded her head, and stepped up to her ball. She lifted up her mallet and swung it hard, hitting the ball over the wall of the courtyard.

"THAT DIDN'T COUNT!" she declared, "Go fetch my ball!" The King nodded and went after the ball. When he returned, he noticed his own croquet ball was farther away from the peg than he remembered.

"Was my ball always there?" he asked.

"YES, YOU IDIOT! OFF WITH HIS—" The Queen stopped herself before she attracted the attention of the guards. "Calm down, calm down…"

"My lady, you won," said the King, wishing to end the game.

"Hah! I did!" exclaimed the Queen, "Now, go order the chef to bring me something smothered in bitter sauces."

"Yes, your majesty." The King headed down to the kitchens. There he met the Head Chef, a round man who always wore a tall white hat.

"I need something bitter, and I need it fast."

"HURRY UP!" shrieked the Queen of Hearts.

"I need it faster," the King corrected. The Chef, as it turned out, had already prepared a rare kind of beef on a silver plate for the Queen.

"Thanks," said the King, taking the plate and bringing it back out into the courtyard.

"No cutlery?!" said the Queen, "OFF WITH HIS—" The King held up a knife and fork.

"Oh." The Queen took the utensils and began to pick at her food. The Red King went back inside, and then heaved a second throne into the garden for her to sit. As soon as he set it down, he saw something in the sky. Jabber!

"Done," said the half-dragon as she landed, bobbing her head slightly in an awkward bow.

"Good," said the Queen, "Now, since you did it fast, go terrorize a village. Or do whatever monsters like you do." The King saw Jabber's face light up, though she refused to smile. She took off once more.

"How many people are in the nearest village?" asked the Queen, watching the Jabberwocky fly off.

"About three hundred people, my lady," replied the King, "Two thirds are children."

"Perfect!"

**Reviews are much appreciated! :D**


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:** _In Which Cheshire Informs Hatter of A Plan_

"Tea time, Hatter?" asked a voice. Cheshire. The Hatter turned to face her, grinning.

"It's always tea time," he replied, sipping from his cup. Suddenly, he heard the crash of breaking china, followed by a high-pitched whinny. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What is that?!" he exclaimed.

"A horse," said Cheshire casually.

"What's a horse doing at my unbirthday party?" the Hatter demanded. He turned to the place on his right, where he supposed the Dormouse was sitting.

"Was he invited?" The Dormouse shrugged, though Hatter couldn't see him.

"Dormouse doesn't know!" The March Hare piped up helpfully.

"I believe he belongs to the knave I saw prowling the forest earlier," said Cheshire, "Hatter, if you meet someone new, make them eat from my _special_ cake. Or hide them." The Hatter raised an eyebrow.

"Special cake? What kind of special?"

"A helpful kind," replied Cheshire, "But if you can hide them, all the better." The Hatter nodded in understanding.

"They're after the newbies, aren't they?"

"Yessir," said Cheshire.

"I see…"

"Operation Shrunken Alices?" she asked, using a code term Hatter had never heard before. He imagined a mischievous grin on Cheshire's face; the grin she was so famous for.

"Operation Shrunken Alices," he confirmed, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Then definitely go for my cake. And hide them somewhere safe." The Hatter nodded.

"And when they want to grow again?"

"Grow?" asked Cheshire. "Oh, right! Growing back…" She took the Hatter's hand and put something inside it; something with the smooth texture of glass. "This potion should do it." The Hatter's fingers found the top of the vial and uncorked it. He held it up to his nose, taking a whiff of the potion inside. It was a familiar shrinking concoction. Disgusting, but effective.

"As long as she drinks the right amount," he agreed with a nod.

"Correct," said Cheshire, "ONE sip. No more."

"Got it."

"Good. Now, what do you think of the Red King?"

"Hm. Well, I don't believe we've—" The Hatter was interrupted by a loud rustle in the bushes. And then a new voice rang out, silencing every one of the party guests.

"Excuse me? Sorry to interrupt…" The Hatter was about to respond; to invite her to sit down and celebrate with him and his friends, when it hit him. _She_ was an unfamiliar. A newbie. An _Alice_.

The Hatter spit out his tea.

**Please review? It only takes a few seconds and I'd really appreciate it! :D Especially tell me if it's getting confusing, and I'll try to fix the problem in the future :)**


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: **_In Which Superior Meets The Mad Gang_

To say Superior was uncomfortable at the tea party was an understatement. There were just four guests; four kids, sitting around a long table covered with a jumbled assortment of plates and teacups. A dark-haired girl with ears like a cat's. A boy with grey eyes and—was that a tail? He looked as if he had just woken up. Then there was a blonde boy, one with rabbit ears, who seemed to be holding back a smile. And at the head of the table, a redheaded boy in a battered top hat. Just four.

But they were all staring at her like they'd seen a ghost.

"Am I at the right place?" she asked uncertainly. "The flower said to find the Mad Hatter…" The redheaded boy stood up from the table, dropping his teacup. He appeared to be the oldest of the group, by at least a few years; none of the others could have been more than fifteen.

"Uh…" The boy looked like he was still recovering from his shock. "That would be me."

"Okay…" said Superior, "I need to find out why I'm here. And the flower said to talk to the Caterpillar. She told me she was a friend of yours, and I'd have to meet you first in order to speak with her. Or something like that…I'm kind of confused." The Hatter brightened.

"Ah, yes! Caterpillar! Good friend of mine. Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please," said Superior. The Hatter turned to one of his friends, the sleepy-looking boy.

"Oi! Dormouse! Do you have a spare teacup?" The boy, who for one reason or another must be known as Dormouse, picked up a teacup and threw it at the Hatter.

"OW!" The Hatter swore as he was hit, holding his hand to his forehead.

"Are you alright?" asked Superior.

"Wait a minute…" The Hatter told her. He turned back to his friend.

"You could have handed it to me!" Superior got the feeling he wasn't really angry with the other boy. The Dormouse shrugged.

"I'm fine," The Hatter replied to Superior.

"Is it always like this?"

"Like what?" The Hatter started to pour her some tea. Superior searched for the right word.

"Chaotic…" she decided, "Throwing teacups at each other…"

"Chaotic, Cheshire!" laughed the blonde boy to the dark-haired girl, "We're chaotic!"

"Well, I wouldn't call it _chaotic_, exactly…" said the Hatter, grinning crookedly. "But we have our moments."

"I see," said Superior, noticing a small pile of broken plates and cups. It was off to the side, as if it had just been swept up. "So, why do they call you the Mad Hatter?" The Hatter adjusted his top hat.  
"Because I'm a hatter." His grin widened. "And I'm mad."

"What exactly is a hatter?" wondered Superior.

"A hatter is someone who makes hats," said the Hatter patiently.

"That makes sense."

"It does," agreed the Hatter, holding out the teacup. "I could make you a hat, if you wanted." Superior took the cup.

"No thank you, I think I'm good." From behind Superior, a new voice was heard.

"Aha! My prophecy was correct, as usual." Superior turned around to see another girl walking into the clearing.

"Caterpillar!" the Hatter greeted her, "Would you like some tea?"

* * *

The Alice was staring at her... Caterpillar wondered why that was.

"I would, thank you, Hatter," she replied, taking a seat at the table. Hatter poured her a cup of tea, chatting animatedly about his party.

"I've never had a horse at my unbirthday before," he said.

"Ah, yes. I saw him coming," Caterpillar told him, "Sorry I'm late. I had a prophecy to make."

"Cheshire just told me something very peculiar. This wouldn't have anything to do with that prophecy, would it?" The Hatter put the teapot back in its place.

"Possibly…" said Caterpillar, "What was it?" The Hatter leaned across the table, lowering his voice.

"The new people…" he whispered, "The Alices. The Red Court is searching for them."

"That's part of it," said Caterpillar quietly, "And also, the girl you have now…She's different from the rest."

"How so?" Caterpillar repeated the prophecy she told the Jack of Hearts.

"Is that the truth?" asked The March Hare loudly.

"Sh!" Caterpillar glanced at the Alice. "I've never been wrong before, have I?"

"No," said Hatter, "I suppose you haven't… Cheshire told me what to do. We need to hide her." As if on cue, the Cheshire Cat materialized behind them.

"Talking about the new girl?" she whispered.

"Yes. Do we tell her?" asked Hatter.

"Allow me," said Cheshire seriously, vanishing once again. The Caterpillar and the Hatter continued their conversation.

"What I can't work out is who the lover will be. I have a hunch, though…"

"Who is it?" asked Hatter.

"The Knave of Hearts," said Caterpillar grimly, "I spoke to him this morning." The Hatter's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"We have to hide this girl!"

"No matter where we hide her, the Jack—If he indeed is the rightful lover—_will_ find her. But it will be to our advantage when he does." The Hatter nodded.

"So we give her a cake."

* * *

As if to distract her from the Hatter's hushed conversation with the other party guests, Dormouse offered Superior more tea.

"Yes, please," she said. Dormouse nodded his head as he took her cup, and Superior realized she had never heard him speak.

"Do you ever talk?" she asked. The Dormouse shrugged. Superior opened her mouth to say something else. Suddenly, the dark-haired girl was standing in front of her. Superior jumped, spilling her tea. How did she do that?

"May I have a word or a few?" she asked. Superior tried not to stare at the girl's furry ears as she nodded.

"Sure…" she said. The girl—the blonde boy had called her Cheshire, Superior remembered—cleared her throat.

"There have been some…_accurate_ predictions, that said new people were arriving here in Underland. But, we heard, there was a very special person among them. And I, being the all-knowing kitty-cat, knew almost immediately that that was you. Now, if the Red Court, the baddies, somehow learned that this new person had come, well… They want her…" Cheshire grimaced and made a slashing motion across her throat. "And that's because they were predicted to use their most loyal as a weapon against them. According to all of this, we must hide you." Superior's eyes widened.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Cheshire said matter-of-factly.

"But why?" Superior was frustrated now. It seemed that everyone knew why she was here. Everyone but Superior herself.

"Because the Oraculum said so."

"What's that?"

"The paper that says you're redemption."


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**_ In Which Cheshire's Shrinking Potion Does Its Job_

"Someone's coming!" The Hatter wasn't smiling; this was no party guest. Cheshire sprang into action.

"Eat some cake," she told Superior, "It'll help you hide. Make sure it's the blue and red one, not the unbirthday cake." Superior found a piece of this cake on a plate in the middle of the table.

"What's your name?" asked the Hatter.

"Superior." Superior took a bite of the cake. It made her feel strange, as if there were butterflies in her stomach. Suddenly, everything around her shot up into the sky. The trees, the table, the people; they all grew into giants. Or maybe it wasn't that they were growing, but that she was _shrinking_.

"Nice name." The Hatter's voice was so loud now that she was tiny; Superior's ears were ringing. He took off his top hat, flipped it over, and held it out to her. "Hop in." Superior climbed into the hat, tumbling to the bottom when she dropped from the rim.

"He's coming this way," the Hatter whispered, "We're going to need to look unsuspicious. Can you do that?"

Superior nodded.

* * *

His job was in danger, his life had been threatened multiple times, a highly exaggerated prophecy was causing him problems, and he'd been attacked by his least favorite Jabberwocky. On top of all that, he still hadn't caught anybody for the Red Queen to execute. The Jack of Hearts was having a really bad day.

Finally, he limped into the clearing where the Mad Hatter held his endless tea party.

"Who's there?" called the Hatter.

"Representative from the Red Cour—"

"Jack! So nice of you to drop by!" interrupted the Hatter with a grin, shifting the rim of his hat. The Jack was in no mood for friendly conversation.

"I'm not droppin' by, Hatter," he said, "I need to know if you've seen new people around."

"New people? Yes, we have!" exclaimed Hatter. The March Hare nodded his head.

"You have? Where?" demanded Jack.

"Do you want some tea?"

"I asked _where_!"

"That way!" said the Hatter and the Hare at the same moment. What threw Jack off was that they were pointing in different directions. The Hatter, being blind, didn't notice. The Hare lowered his arm.

"That way," he decided, nodding at the Hatter.

"I'll come back if you're lying," Jack threatened.

"We're not," said the Hatter, "Would you like some tea before you go?"

"No." The Jack turned around and started to walk away.

"Where's your horse, Jack?" asked the Hatter. Jack stopped abruptly.

"Back at the Castle," he lied. The Hatter waved as the scowling Jack left the clearing.

* * *

"I think it's safe now," said the Hatter, "Hang onto the inside of the hat." Superior did as she was told, slightly shaken from her close call with the Jack of Hearts. The Hatter took off his hat and placed it on the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a transparent glass vial. Inside, a pearly liquid that seemed to glitter in the sulight.

"Now take a drink of this," he told her, uncorking the container and placing it inside the hat. "Just one sip." Superior was very much unable to drink out of the vial normally, as it was bigger than she was. She eventually managed to reach inside, though, cupping her hand and catching a drop of the shimmering liquid.

It tasted like rotten shellfish. Before Superior could spit it out, she started to feel out of sorts again. This time, her stomach tied in knots. The potion worked much slower than the cake, and the feeling was slightly more unpleasant. By the time she had regained normal size, she was sure she looked green.

"Weird…" she said.

"Very," agreed Hatter as he bent down to pick up his hat. He seemed to understand the feeling; he must have shrunken before. Or grown. Superior imagined the Hatter and his friends running around Underland, towering above the trees. She nearly smiled.

"The vial, if you will." Hatter held out his hand, and Superior returned the potion.

"What does he want with me?" she asked. Hatter corked the vial and put it back in his pocket.

"He wants you executed. Because according to the Oraculum, you aren't supposed to be here." He paused, adjusting his top hat.

"Why?"

"You know what? Some of that cake would be useful, too. May I have a piece?" Superior handed him the cake.

"It seems you're a threat to the Red Queen," Hatter continued. "But that's fine by us. Right, Dormouse? Hare?" Dormouse, Caterpillar, Cheshire, and the other boy—Hare, which made sense with his ears—all nodded in agreement.

"But why would I be a threat?" asked Superior.

"That's what I'm still trying to work out…" said Caterpillar thoughtfully.

"Maybe you should ask yourself, 'Could I be a threat?'" suggested Hatter.

"But I don't even know the Red Queen…"

"Well, maybe you'll know her soon!" said Hare.

"Something tells her I don't want to know her," said Superior.

"Well, she isn't the friendliest, but…" Hatter couldn't think of how to end the sentence on a positive note, so he moved on. "Come on." He started walking.

"Dormouse!" he stopped in his tracks, as if remembering something. "Would you stay here in case he comes back? Throw him off again?" The Dormouse nodded, taking his seat once more.

"Is he nodding?" asked Hatter. Superior blinked. What? For the first time she noticed the cloudiness of the boy's eyes; remembered the way he talked to people without turning to face them. That did make sense.

"Yes, he is."

"Good," said Hatter cheerfully, starting to walk again. Caterpillar, Hare, and Superior followed close behind. Cheshire drifted along at the back of the group.

"Where are we going?" asked Superior.

"Hopefully, somewhere safe."


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:** _In Which The Dormouse Is Attacked_

"Argh!" The Red Queen screamed.

"What do you want me to do, my lady?" asked the Red King, secretly relieved that the Queen was unhappy with the "entertainment" he'd come up with. In all honesty, the Red King had never played the spoons before, and never particularly wanted to again.

"Get me the Hatter."

"My lady—" began the King.

"NOW!"

"My lady, I can't—" He was interrupted by the Red Queen's scream.

"GET ME HIM NOW!"

"But—"

"WHERE'S JACK?!" demanded the Queen of Hearts, "WHERE IS THAT LITTLE GOOD FOR NOTHING—"

"My lady," interrupted the Red King, "These things take time…" With a scream of rage, the Queen tore down a decorative knife from the wall and hurled it at his head. The King ducked at the last second.

"Calm down, my lady!"

"YOU CALM DOWN!" screamed the Queen. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" The King flinched, just before realizing that she wasn't talking about him. An unlucky servant had the misfortune to walk by at that moment. Two guards took the slave by the arms, and he was dragged away, screaming nearly as loud as the Queen of Hearts. The Red Queen took deep breaths.

"That's better…" She turned to the King. "Sorry. I got a little…carried away." The King nodded cautiously.

"Go get Jack," ordered the Queen.

"My lady," the King began again, "He'll be back by sunset, I promise." After a brief hesitation, the Queen nodded.

"When he returns, I'll have a few questions for him."

"Yes, my lady."

"What do you think he's doing?" wondered the Queen.

"Probably dead in a ditch—" The Red King coughed loudly. "I mean riding here as we speak." The Red Queen thought about this.

"Get me the Oraculum," she said finally. After a short trip to the now-empty dungeon, the King returned to the throne room and handed the scroll to his queen. She unraveled it and looked for the present date.

"Here's Jack in the woods...And here's the Mad Hatter and his pathetic friends." She cackled. "We'll always be one step ahead of them with this!"

"Yes, my lady." The Queen looked through the scroll until she found one of her favorite dates. The day she had used her Jabberwocky to take control of Underworld. She traced her finger over the paper, smiling slightly.

"The Horovendoush Day," she murmured, reading the small print below the pictures.

"_Gesundheit_," said a sarcastic voice. The Queen of Hearts glanced up. The Jabberwocky stood before her, looking sickeningly pleased with herself. She must have taken the Red Queen's advice to heart and demolished that village.

"You're here," remarked the Queen. "Finally. Now, back in your cell." Her reptilian servant looked disappointed, and the Red Queen grinned.

"Will I get to fly again?" asked the Jabberwocky hopefully.

"Maybe," the Queen smirked, "Or maybe not. Probably not." She snapped her fingers, and soldiers immediately flooded into the throne room, throwing wire nets over the Jabberwocky. The half-dragon opened her mouth and let out a piercing shriek. The Red Queen walked over and pressed her fingers to her lips.

"Sh," she told the Jabberwocky, "No need to scream. There'll be plenty of that later when you're punished for destroying that village."

"You _told_ me to do that," said the Jabberwocky through gritted teeth.

"Prove it," the Queen said in a bland voice. She turned to the guards.

"Take this filthy creature away."

* * *

Dormouse poured himself another cup of tea. He could already feel himself becoming drowsy. The day's events had prevented him from getting the rest he needed in order to avoid sleeping against his will.

But before he could rest, the Jack of Hearts walked back into the clearing. And he looked angry.

"Where'd they go?" The Dormouse shrugged. Suddenly, Jack shoved his chair aside and yanked him into the air by the collar of his shirt.

"Tell me!" he shouted. Dormouse shook his head quickly.

"I'll—I'll kill you!" threatened Jack. Dormouse's collar was beginning to choke him. He gasped and tried to shake his head again. Jack threw him to the ground.

Dormouse blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but everything around him was already fading to blackness.

* * *

"Where are we going, Cheshire?" Superior heard the Hatter ask, "I have a feeling I took a wrong turn." Before Cheshire could respond, two voices rang out in unison.

"Depends on where you want to go!" Superior turned to face a boy and a girl, both with ash-blonde hair and freckles. They were smiling broadly with eerily similar grins.

"Tweedles!" exclaimed Hatter, "Would you like some—Oh. Never mind…"

"Tweedles?" asked Superior quietly, turning to the March Hare.

"_The_ Tweedles. They call themselves Mine and Yours. And have a habit of giving people the wrong directions!" He started laughing again.

"Where are we heading again?" asked Cheshire.

"I don't quite know," admitted the Hatter, "How about the garden? Maybe the flowers will help us out."

"Since when have the flowers—" began the female Tweedle.

"—been known to help anybody?" finished her brother.

"Where is the garden?" Superior asked them.

"That way!" They answered in unison. The boy pointed into the trees.

"Hang on," said Cheshire, "Maybe we'd better hide. If the Queen isn't satisfied by the Knave's performance, she might come after one of _us_ next. But, I never really did get into politics."

"I didn't think about that," said Hatter, "Yes, let's hide!"

"Cake, anyone?" asked Cheshire.

"I like cake." The Hatter grinned, taking the cake out of his pocket and breaking it into pieces.

"Cake would be nice," said Caterpillar, taking her piece. Hatter handed a bit to Superior. She looked down at it uncertainly, not entirely thrilled to be shrinking again.

It felt different the second time. It was, if possible, even faster than before. Superior fell to the ground with a little shriek.

"Sh!" scolded the Hatter as he ate his own piece of cake. But he himself yelped when he found himself trapped underneath his own hat.

"Everyone lift!" Caterpillar grabbed the brim of the hat. With difficulty, they managed to raise the enormous top hat high enough for the Hatter to escape.

"My hat! It's still giant!" he complained once he was freed.

"You're going to be fine. Stay calm." The Hatter froze, but it wasn't due to the Caterpillar's words.

"We need to go." He'd heard something.

"Alright, alright," said Caterpillar, looking around for a route of escape. Cheshire vanished into thin air.

"Where?" asked the March Hare. Hatter pointed.

"That way!" He started running, the rest of the group following closely. Superior could hear thunderous footsteps, those of a normal-sized person, behind them. The Hatter tripped over a root and landed flat on his face. Superior took hold of his arm and helped him up.

"Thanks," said Hatter. Together, they caught up to the rest of the group.

As they ran away, the heavy footfalls faded into the distance.

**Reviews are much appreciated! :)**


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:** _In Which The Jack Gets One Last Chance_

The Jack of Hearts stood still in the forest. Slowly, his hand closed around the hilt of the Vorpal Sword, and he drew it from its sheath. At his feet was a beat-up top hat.

"Ah!" The Jack's head snapped up. Just in time to see a girl shrink to the size of a doll and fall into the grass. If he had blinked, he would have missed it. The Jack started running. He scanned the brush for tiny people, wishing he had more than one eye to search with.

He found nothing. The Jack swore loudly in frustration. He stood there for a while, staring at the ground as if he could will the Mad Gang and their Alice to return. Of course, it did no good. And the Jack decided to go back to the Red Castle and accept the punishment he would certainly be given.

Right on cue, it started to rain.

* * *

"Whoa!" The Hatter slid across the ground, slick with rainwater. Superior screamed and lurched forward as she was struck with a giant drop of water.

"Where are we?!" yelled the Hare.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Caterpillar, "I'm very lost!"

"Everyone!" called Hatter, "I think—" Just then, the Hatter was hit in the head with another raindrop. He crumpled to the ground.

"Hatter!" cried Caterpillar. She dropped to her knees beside him and tried to shake him awake, but it did no good.

"Well, that's just great!" With the help of Superior and the Hare, Caterpillar yanked a leaf from a bush and held it over their heads. Hare grabbed the back of the Hatter's shirt and started to drag him along.

* * *

"Wake up!" demanded Hare, shaking his friend. The Hatter didn't open his eyes. "Wake up!"

"It's no use," said the Caterpillar, "I've already tried."

"I might be able to, though!" said the Hare. He slapped the Hatter, but still he didn't so much as twitch. Hare stood up and stomped on Hatter's stomach.

That did the trick.

"OW!" Hatter gasped. "That hurt, Hare!"

"Ehehehehe!" laughed the Hare, "Sorry!" The Hatter sat up, rubbing his head.

"Is everyone all right, then?" he asked, "No casualties?"

"Nope!" said the Hare.

"About time you awoke," muttered Caterpillar. The Hatter shrugged.

"Sorry?"

"It's alright…"

"So, what now?" asked the Hatter, pulling himself into a standing position, "Are we still heading for the garden?"

"Yes," said Caterpillar, "But we should wait for the rain to pass…" The Hatter considered this as thunder crashed in the distance.

"Probably a good idea," he said, "I wish I had brought some tea…"

"Tea is delicious!" agreed Hare.

"You don't, by any chance, have some with you? Do you, Hare?" asked Hatter. The Hare checked his many pockets, but found only a teabag.

"Just a bag…"

"Maybe we could use the rain…" said the Hatter thoughtfully, "Cold tea is better than no tea at all, I suppose."

"What would you put it in?" questioned Hare. The Hatter reached up to find a hat that wasn't on his head. His face fell.

"I don't know…"

"Is that all you normally do?" asked Superior, "Drink tea?"

"Sometimes we throw plates at each other," said the Hatter wistfully.

"And cups…" added the Hare.

"Why?"

"It's fun," said Hatter, "Hare and I, sometimes we teamed up against the Dormouse, and—" he paused. "Where do you think Dormouse is?"

"You told him to stay behind in case Jack came back, remember?" Caterpillar told him.

"I know," said the Hatter, "But do you think he _did_ come back?"

"Possibly…" The Hatter was silent.

"Maybe we should check on him," said Caterpillar.

"But maybe I'm making something out of nothing. He's probably on his way to meet us." Caterpillar blinked, her eyes glazing over for a moment.

"I see the Dormouse walking with us," she said, "He's fine."

"Oh, that's good. And what of the Jack?" asked Hatter.

"He's back at the castle for now. But soon, he'll continue his search."

* * *

When Jack arrived at the Red Castle, he was soaking wet from the rain. And to say he was intimidated by the tall building looming over him would be an understatement. The thunder and lightning brought on by the storm made it especially ominous. But he swallowed his fear and went inside, keeping a hand on his sword. He had dealt with the Red Queen's rage before. Who said he couldn't face her again?

As soon as he entered the throne room, the Queen started to laugh. Dripping wet and scowling, Jack waited for her to collect herself.

"Jack?" she said finally, "So you are back!" Jack bowed his head.

"Yes, your majesty."

"So where is she?" asked the Queen, looking over his shoulder for the captured Alice. The captured Alice who wasn't with him.

"She…she's went away, your majesty," said Jack, "I've lost her." The Red Queen froze. When she spoke again, her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"One job, Jack. That's all I ask of you, and you can't even do that right." The Queen's eyes were wild.

"They vanished, your majesty," said Jack, "And the Dormouse refused to talk." The Red Queen balled her fists and stomped up to him. Before he could open his mouth to speak again, she punched him square in the face.

"Augh!" Jack's nose was bleeding.

"YOU'VE FAILED ME TOO MANY TIMES!" She hit him in the gut. The Jack tried his best to look like he didn't wish to fight back. He wanted _badly _to lash out at the Queen, to make her suffer as he had. But as much as he wished to hurt her, he…couldn't. She was in command.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

"What?!" The Jack reconsidered.

"DON'T! ANSWER! BACK!" The Queen of Hearts smacked him with each word. The Jack unsheathed his sword, but the King stepped in between them.

"My lady, maybe beheading him is not the best option…"

"WHAT?!" The King raised his hands in defense.

"Well, he's the only one who knows the current location of the girl. Send him out one more time." The Queen looked like she wanted to scream. She turned to the Jack, clenching her fists.

"One more chance," she said, struggling to keep her voice level. "Prove your loyalty, or die. OUT! NOW!"

The Jack got out of the throne room as fast as he could. When he walked out the door of the castle, the rain was just beginning to clear up. Soon enough, he made it to the stables. But he stopped dead when he spotted the horse.

Now, seeing horses here wasn't at all uncommon. This was where the animals were kept, after all. But the horse Jack saw was his own. The creature had escaped and made it back home without him. This drove the Jack to his breaking point. He shouted and kicked the side of the stable.

"ARGH!"


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:** _In Which The Mad Gang Finds A Hiding Place_

The White Queen paced in her throne room.

"Is something wrong, Maria?" asked the King. Both royals of the White Court preferred to address each other by their proper names. The Queen was called Maria; the King was Caspian. Maria would choose her own name over 'your majesty' any day.

"No, just nervous," she said with a sigh.

"About?" Caspian wondered.

"Everything."

"I see…"

"I mean, _anything_ could go wrong!"

"Perhaps we should ask the Caterpillar for another prophecy," suggested Caspian.

"And you could ask her for something more," teased Maria. Caspian's ears went red.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Maria laughed.

"I'm not blind like the Hatter, Caspian," she said, "I can tell you have feelings for her." Caspian hesitated before speaking again.

"Maybe I do," he said, "But what am I to do about it? Our parents betrothed us. Since then, we have become friends, but we have no romantic feelings for each other. That is clear." Maria tried not to feel a little hurt by this. She knew his words were true; she didn't love him, either. But it was still hard to hear…

"The Red Court isn't separated, though…" The Red Queen was Maria's older sister. Her marriage had also been arranged. Both sisters knew that it took two to run a kingdom, no matter what you chose to do with your power.

"I will remain faithful to you," said Caspian, "I may not love you as a husband should, but I'm still your friend."

Maria hugged him. When they came apart, the King was grinning mischievously.

"What?"

"I want to know…" said Caspian, "Who _you_ have feelings for?"

"No one!" Maria blushed.

"Are you _sure_?" teased Caspian, "Maybe a member of the Mad Gang?" Maria's face flushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Positive."

"If you say so…" Caspian began to walk out of the room, but stopped before he reached the door. "I will get it out of you."

Maria couldn't help but smile.

* * *

The earsplitting noise of the giant raindrops against the ground had disappeared. The clouds had parted, allowing the sun to shine down on a small group of Underlanders—and Superior, of course.

"Should we keep moving?" asked the March Hare, lowering the leaf they had used for their umbrella.

"Yeah. Let's keep moving," the Hatter echoed with a nod.

They had only been walking for a few minutes when the Caterpillar was nearly squashed under a gigantic foot. She dove out of the way just in time.

"Earthquake!" yelled the Hatter, dropping to the ground, "Cover your head!"

"Calm down!" said the Hare, "It's just Lily!" The flower heard their voices.

"Hatter? Hare?" she called, looking around for them.

"Down here!" shouted Hare. Lily glanced down. Her face lit up in a huge grin, and she reached down to pick him up.

"You're tiny!" she exclaimed, "Aw! You're so cute!" Hare wiggled, trying to get out of the five-year-old's grasp.

"Lily!" called Hatter, unaware that the little flower—although he could hardly call her little when she towered above their heads—had captured his friend. "Hello!"

"You're tiny, too!" Lily smiled and picked up the Hatter in her other hand.

"Whoa!" Hatter suddenly felt very sick, and held on tight to the girl's hand. Lily sat down on the ground. Superior and Caterpillar scattered to avoid being crushed.

"I'm going to play with you!" she told Hatter and Hare, "You're so cute and tiny!" The two miniature Underlanders struggled against her grip.

"Lily, please put me back on the ground!" exclaimed Hatter, looking green. Lily pouted.

"But now I can play with you!" The Hatter racked his brain for an idea, but no stable plan came up. He would have to improvise.

"Hm…Ah! I know a game you can play with us. Do you want to hear what it is?" Lily immediately stopped sulking.

"Yes!"

"All right," said Hatter, "It's, um, it's all of us versus the Knave of Hearts. Can you hide us somewhere he can't find us?"

"That sounds fun!" said Lily. She stood up and took off running into the nearby woods. Hatter and Hare hung on for dear life, though in Lily's grasp they'd never fall to the ground.

"Lily!" called Hatter. The young flower stopped running.

"Yes?"

"Have you forgotten about Caterpillar and the others?"

"Them too?" she asked. The Hatter nodded.

"Yes, them especially."

"Okay!" Lily shoved Hatter and Hare into a bird's nest inside the trunk of a tree, and ran back to the garden. After taking a moment to regain their bearings, the Underlanders began to explore the little space.

"Where are we? And what is this?" Hatter knocked on something large and solid.

"I think that's an owl egg…" said Hare. The Hatter stopped knocking.

"Oh."

"Is this a good place to hide from the Jack?" asked the Hare. Hatter grinned.

"Yes, I doubt he'll ever think to look for us here."

"Aah!" Superior and Caterpillar were tossed into the nest.

"Anyone else?" asked Lily.  
"Is everyone here?" Hatter asked the Hare.

"Everyone except Cheshire. Where did she go?"

"She…Cheshired," decided the Hatter. He turned back to Lily. "Yes, we're all here."

"Is that the end of the game?" asked Lily, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Yep," replied the Hatter. "Now, remember, it's all a big secret. You can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay!" With that, the five-year-old flower ran off again.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:** _In Which Everyone Learns Something New_

The three Underlanders and the Alice tried to make themselves comfortable in the small nest. Hatter and Hare sat by one side of the space. Caterpillar and Superior sat down across from them. The Caterpillar was wrapped up in her visions, searching silently for a prophecy that would help determine their safety.

"So, it's just you, me, Caterpillar, and the new person," said Hare to Hatter. Hatter nodded his head and leaned back against the wall, propping his feet up on what he assumed was the owl egg. His head was tilted to the sky, as if he could see the small patch of blue visible at the top of the hollow tree. How he had landed himself here, he would never begin to guess. But what an adventure it was turning out to be! Definitely a story to tell his party guests in the future.

"You can call me Superior, if you wish," said the Alice.

"Superior," the Hare tried it. "It tastes weird." Superior looked confused. Hare turned to face her.

"Your name," he explained, "It tastes weird."

"It _tastes_ weird?" she asked. Hare nodded enthusiastically.

"Superior, Superior, Superior, Superior, Superior, Superior…" he grinned, repeating the name over and over again.

"_Superior_," said the Hatter slowly, sounding out each syllable. "Superior. He's right!" The Hatter joined Hare in his repetition of the Alice's name.

"I'm named after a lake where I come from…" said Superior. The Hatter stopped repeating, though the Hare carried on, enjoying himself.

"And where do you come from?" asked Hatter.

"A place called Panem," said Superior, "But before that it was North America, and that's where the lake was." The Hatter raised an eyebrow.

"Overland?"

"Yeah." By this point, Superior had assumed Overland was just anywhere that wasn't Underland.

"What's it like up there?" asked the Hatter. Superior thought for a moment, searching for the right words to describe her home.

"Well, it's separated into twelve districts. I live in District Four, which is warm and sunny most of the time, and by the water. It's—"

"Are there any trees there?" interrupted Hare.

"Palm trees," Superior told him, "District Seven has a lot more trees than we do." The Hare blinked, a strange look crossing his face. One of his rabbit ears twitched.

"What is it?" asked Superior. Hare shook his head, breaking his trance.

"Nothing," he said. After a pause, he continued, though without the same energy. "District Seven. It tastes good."

"Why do you say that?"

"Superior. It tastes weird. District Seven. It tastes good." Hare didn't see why he had to explain it. It made sense to everyone else.

"But words don't have taste…"

"Sure they do. Can't you imagine it?" The Hatter closed his eyes and thought. He nodded. Words always had taste. If you were observant enough—the Hatter considered himself especially perceptive; his blindness had made him that way—everything, even words and names, had a taste. A sound. A certain feeling.

Superior shook her head.

"It's like tea," explained the Hare. Superior wondered why the conversation always had to turn back to tea somehow. Was that the way things were here?

"Ah, I love tea!" said the Hatter.

"And I love saying it as well as drinking it," said the Hare with a nod, "It tastes delicious!" Superior looked at him incredulously. How did it work? Words couldn't have tastes. Could they?

"Try it!" urged Hare. Superior sighed. In her mind, she pictured the tea. In a painted cup, like the ones she'd seen at the Hatter's table. The liquid inside was a mahogany color. She decided it needed a little sugar, and then…

"Hey!" she said, "I see what you mean!" Hatter and Hare exchanged a glance, and turned to grin widely at her.

For once, she understood.

* * *

"How are we going to get down?" An hour had passed, and the biggest problem was no longer an argument on what certain words tasted like.

"Jump?" suggested Hare.

"We can't go down," said Hatter, "Jack will find us."

"But what if we get bigger?" asked Hare.

"We won't," Hatter told him, "Not if we don't drink this." He held up the vial of shimmery liquid.

"We can't stay small for good, though," said Hare.

"No," admitted Hatter, "But we can stay small until we're safe."

"So we just stay here forever?" wondered Superior.

"That'll take forever!" complained the Hare.

"Not if we're safe in less than forever," the Hatter pointed out, "Say we only wait until the Jack passes by. We've got our potion. We can get big again and figure out a place to hide next."

Superior and Hare nodded. And the wait began.


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:** _In Which Hatter and Hare Remember_

Maria wandered through the forest, as she often did in her spare time. The more gossipy of Underland's residents—mainly the flowers, though the Hatter loved a good story nearly as much—had often spoken of the dangerous wild beasts who lurked in the shadows of the trees. The White Queen had chosen not to believe these tales, though. She had never seen a Bandersnatch here. And if she even considered the possibility of _another_ Jabberwocky roaming Underland, she banished the thought to the back of her mind. There were no dangerous creatures here. The forest was a nice place to visit.

She decided to drop by the Hatter's for a cup of tea. But as she began walking to his place of residence, she knew immediately that something was wrong. Maria could usually hear the Mad Gang before she saw them, smashing plates and yelling things at each other. They hadn't even been quiet when they'd run out of dishes to break. Hatter refused to make a trip to town, so he'd attempted to glue a few of the plates back together. A tricky task, especially when you're blind and have to sort through a pile of broken china just to find a few shards that fit together. He'd cut himself multiple times, and she could hear him swearing from miles away.

Today, the forest was silent. The White Queen reached the long table to find it completely empty. Well, save for the dirty dishes, half-full cups and colorful teapots sitting on the patchwork tablecloth. Maria called out, wondering if they were hiding in the trees. Maybe it was all just a game. She realized the true nature of the situation when she spotted a figure a few yards away from the table, lying on the ground.

"Dormouse?" As she got closer, she saw the boy's eyes were closed. But for once, the Dormouse wasn't sleeping. He was sprawled awkwardly on the ground, looking beat-up, bruised, and very unconscious.

"Dormouse!" Maria run over and knelt beside him. The boy didn't move.

"No, no, no…" she shook his shoulders, trying to shake him awake. Dormouse slumped over to the side. Maria took his wrist, and relaxed slightly. He had a pulse. She shook him again.

Dormouse's eyes snapped open. Maria breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're awake." Dormouse looked confused. His eyes, the same gray as storm clouds, darted around quickly before focusing on the White Queen. Maria placed a hand gently on his forehead.

"Relax," she told him, "Don't move too much." The Dormouse, as always, said nothing.

"Do you remember what happened?" Maria asked gently. She looked him over, trying to see if he was injured. He seemed unhurt, albeit rather battered. Dormouse nodded, pulling himself into a sitting position. He mimed writing, motioning for a pen and paper.

"You're sure you're alright to write?" asked Maria. The Dormouse nodded and motioned again. Maria took a pen and a napkin from the table and handed it to him. The Dormouse wrote quickly, his handwriting a series of neat loops and swirls. Not Violet's neat print, nor the messy scrawl of the Hatter, nor the illegible spirals of the Cheshire Cat. It looked, if possible, a lot like a combination of the three. And from how much he had written, he must've had a lot more to say than Maria thought he did.

_New people have been arriving in Underland. From what I've gathered, the Queen of Hearts doesn't want them here. She's sent the Jack of Hearts to capture them. A few of the new people came to our tea party. One a few days ago, and the other one today. I think her name was Superior. I may have dozed off during the introduction. But Cheshire and Caterpillar showed up as well, and they both seemed to think that she was in danger. Hatter heard the Jack coming, and Hatter gave Superior something to shrink her so that she could fit in his top hat. We gave the Jack the wrong directions, and he went off. Then they wanted to find a place to hide Superior, so that she would be safe from the Red Court. So they all left. The Hatter told me to stay here, to mislead the Jack again if he returned._

After she had finished reading, Maria looked up.

"Did he?"

_Yes_, wrote the Dormouse, _He got angry when I wouldn't tell him where they had gone._

Dormouse felt himself begin to nod off, was aware that his eyes were closing…He blinked rapidly, trying to get himself to stay awake. _Not now, not now…_

"Did he attack you?" Maria was stroking his hair absentmindedly; she hadn't noticed yet. Dormouse nodded.

"He did?" Maria was about to ask more of the Dormouse, but she saw his weariness. "Why don't you get some rest?" The Dormouse took up the pen and wrote on the other side of the napkin.

_I'll sleep sooner or later._

This was true. The Dormouse was narcoleptic; he slept whether he liked it or not. Even at the most inconvenient of moments.

"Are you sure? You look so tired…"

_I'm fi_

The pen dropped to the ground. Dormouse had fallen asleep.

* * *

"What do we do while we wait?" Superior sighed.

"Would you like to play cards?" Hatter pulled a deck of playing cards out of his jacket pocket and held it out to her, grinning his crooked grin.

"How can we play cards if you can't see?" wondered Superior.

"What do you mean?" The Hatter was confused. "I always play cards." Hare snickered.

"But…don't you have to see what's on them?" asked Superior. The Hare couldn't take it any longer. He burst out laughing.

"Huh. I guess that explains why I always lose…" said the Hatter. Superior laughed.

"Say we play a different game," said Hatter.

"Like?" Superior looked out the opening of the hollow tree. Still no sign of the Jack.

"Well, what do they do for fun in Overland?"

"We swim, fish, boat, explore the beach…Nothing we can do here." Superior felt a pang of homesickness, and tried to ignore it.

"No games?" asked Hatter.

"Hide and Seek," said Superior, "But we can't play that here, either…" There was a different kind of game played in Panem, too—a horrible, sadistic Game that even the outrageous Underlanders wouldn't want to play—but Superior didn't care to mention it. Her best friend had participated one year. She'd won, fortunately, but she still hadn't fully recovered from the trauma.

"Oh," said Hatter, "I'm terrible at Hide and Seek, anyway. I'm fairly good at seeking, but I haven't quite gotten hiding down… I always used to lose when I played it with my—" The Hatter broke off mid-story, looking confused.

"Your what?" asked Superior.

"I don't remember," said Hatter. What was that? He could have been about to say _friends_. That would have been true. He had played Hide and Seek many times with Cheshire and the Hare. But in the back of his mind, he knew it was different. Yet, he couldn't recall exactly what he was going to say.

"That's odd…" remarked Hatter, "And it's happened before, too. Not just to me, but to Dormouse and Hare and Violet, occasionally."

"It happened to me a few minutes ago," said Hare.

"Really?" asked Hatter, "What were you about to remember?"

"I don't know…" Hare tried to call it to mind. He turned to Superior. "Something you were talking about. District…"

"Seven?" asked Superior. Hare nodded.

"District Seven."

"That's strange…It was just like that, with Violet a few days ago," said Hatter, "She got a number, too. Twelve."

"District Seven…" mused Hare. "Where's that?"

"Overland." There was that word again, out of Superior's mouth this time. She knew what it was like in reality, but the whole concept seemed…ominous. A land beyond Underland. It was Superior's home, yet here it was an everlasting mystery.

"But how could Hare have been to the Overland?" asked Hatter.

"Maybe he's from there?" suggested Superior.

"But I'm from here…" said Hare, "Aren't I?"


End file.
